exploring raw food diets for pets

Whether you’re planning a homemade raw diet or going with pre-packaged options, your first step is checking with your veterinary team or talking to a veterinary nutritionist. We’re here with advice on how to correctly balance your pet’s diet so they get all the good things their body needs.

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Handling raw food comes with risks that owners need to know before they start.

If you’re considering a raw diet, you may think it’s better for your pet to eat uncooked meats and greens than a commercially-produced pet food. In addition to concerns about processed or preserved food, the thinking is that animals should eat what they once ate in the wild — that is, raw food.

Before you begin, you should be aware that raw foods come with risks. Raw meat can carry parasites and bacteria, including Salmonella and Listeria, that can infect pets as well as people. As for eating like a wild animal, your domesticated BFF probably not only looks a bit different than their ancestors, but their tummies have diverged, as well. It’s not unusual for pets to have difficulty digesting raw food.

smiling woman hand feeds dog fresh vegetables in kitchen

Raw food diets should be based on veterinary know-how about nutrition

Good pet nutrition is a balancing act. Many raw diets have too much vitamin A and D, as well as other mineral imbalances, which can cause nutritionally-based disease. Plus, in growing puppies and kittens, a raw diet can throw off the ratio of calcium to phosphorus their body needs to properly grow.

A correctly balanced raw food diet should provide all protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, critical carbs, and fiber your pet needs to be healthy and happy.
Help your pet eat right by getting a veterinary nutritionist’s advice on your raw diet plan.

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The raw facts on raw food diets for pets

What are the upsides to a raw food diet?

Fans of raw food diets claim multiple benefits for their pets and the planet. Raw food can mean to smaller pet poops, which means cleaner yards and litter boxes. Some owners report higher pet energy levels, less body odor, cleaner teeth and fresher breath, and improved body, skin, and coat conditions. Others feel that raw food decreases their ecological footprint, or believe it helps them to save on pet food costs. Whatever your reasons, feeding your pet a raw food diet does require active owner participation, so be ready, and be informed.

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What are the risks of a raw food diet?

Always take care when handling or feeding your pets raw foods, because they can carry deeply unpleasant, often serious disease. Here’s a quick list of common complications.

Enterotoxins: A common cause of food poisoning in dogs, enterotoxins like C Diff (Clostridioides difficile) are intestinal microorganisms that release toxins into your pet’s system and, if untreated, can lead to multiple organ failure.

Gastroenteritis: Some pets experience vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration on a raw food diet. (Raw food can be harder to digest than quality commercial kibble, which is designed for easy nutrient delivery.) If you spot any of these symptoms, it’s best to check with your vet.

Salmonella: Eighty percent of raw food diets for dogs test positive for salmonella, a bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and fever in human beings. Raw chicken in particular is a salmonella risk. Infected dogs may never show symptoms, but they can still pass infectious bacteria in their poop.

terrier dog outside on grass chews meaty bone

Be prepared for bones

Check with your veterinary team if bones are safe for your pet’s age and breed before you hand your cat a raw fish or your pup a big juicy steak. Different sorts of bones can fracture pet teeth, as well as block or punch holes in their gastrointestinal tract — and no one wants that!